It’s Saturday morning and after a busy week of getting my house ready to sell, I feel like taking a chill day. The sunshine outside is deceptive. It looks gloriously warm but it’s only supposed to reach a high of 3℉, so I’m not leaving the house. I put cinnamon rolls into the oven and then spy the Rodney Strong lounging in my cooler. I think that this might be a great way to start the day and I was right.
Rodney Strong Vineyards has a rich winemaking history, starting with its first vineyard. In 1904, the Heritage River West site, where the current winery is located, was planted by settlers . In 1959, Rodney Strong retired from dancing and started his career in winemaking. In 1968, Strong purchased land in the Russian River Valley and planted Pinot Noir, which is where the grapes for this Rosé, were harvested.
This wine makes for a great brunch pairing. It goes with sweet things, like cinnamon rolls, but also goes with shellfish, breakfast sandwiches and eggs. It has the flavors of strawberry, melon, tropical fruits and citrus. The acid is bright and is lively enough to cut through richer components, such as hollandaise.
When paired with sweeter things like cinnamon rolls, the fruitiness of the wine and the sweetness of the cinnamon rolls are toned down but in a balanced way. In particular, the cinnamon enhances the citrus characters in the wine and the other fruit characteristics compliment the cinnamon quite nicely.
The Rodney Strong rosé is a delicious, happy wine, appropriate for any happy occasion. The lightness of this wine makes is a great choice for drinking at any time of day or perhaps, all day. Of course, the pretty pink color only makes it better.